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Saturday, 23 January 2016

253) 100 Years of Mahatma Gandhi’s Return to India in 1915: i) Commemorative stamps issued by India Post in January 2015 ii) Commemorative Coins in the denomination of Rs.10/- :

253)
100 Years of Mahatma Gandhi’s Return to India in 1915: i) Commemorative stamps
issued by India Post in January 2015 ii) Commemorative Coins in the denomination of Rs.10/- :

Mahatma Gandhi was a
visionary and a person of superlative moral and physical courage. His identity
as a political activist in South Africa was an important prelude to his return
to India, where he was destined to play a pivotal role in securing India’s
Independence from the British Raj.

He was the primary leader
of India’s Independence movement and also the architect of a form of civil
disobedience or “Satyagrah” (meaning
“the insistence of getting one’s truthful rights through peaceful means” or the
Force of Truth”) that still influences and inspires the World even in the
present day.

His
work, achievements and reputation in South Africa, before his coming to India
in 1915:

In 1893, Gandhi arrived in
South Africa as a newly qualified lawyer, on a temporary assignment, to
represent a local Indian trader in a commercial dispute. By the time he left
South Africa he had through his work, secured significant legal concessions for
the local Indian population in South Africa.

For over a decade, he
prepared numerous petitions and memoranda, led deputations to the authorities,
wrote letters to the Press and tried to promote public understanding and support
in South Africa, as well as, in India and Britain for the cause of Indians in
South Africa. His professional practice was largely devoted to the redressal of
wrongs against the Indian community in South Africa. It was in South Africa
that Gandhi developed his political views, ethics and leadership skills.

His stay in South Africa
proved to be an important phase in his path to becoming a leading political
figure of the 20th Century.

“Satyagrah”: His
peaceful method of agitation the “Satyagrah”
in which campaigners went on peaceful marches and presented themselves for
arrest in protest against unjust laws, (a passive form of Resistance) evolved
in South Africa, before coming to India and eventually caught the fancy of the
whole World.

Mahatma
Gandhi’s Return to India:

On 09.01.1915, Gandhi
returned to India, where he supported the Home Rule Movement and became a
leader in the Indian National Congress advocating the policy of non-violent,
non-cooperation, using indigenous “Charkha”
spun clothes etc to achieve the goal of Indian Independence.

His goal was to help poor
farmers and labourers to protest against oppressive taxation and
discrimination, with the ultimate objective of self-rule for India.

He was unique in his
leadership style and his simple living style inspired millions of Indians to
respond to his call as one man during India’s Freedom struggle.

The appellation Mahatma
(meaning “Great Soul”) was coined for him by the Indian Nobel Laureate
Rabindranath Tagore who was in turn fondly called “Gurudev” (meaning “the Teacher” or the “Enlightened One”) by
Mahatma Gandhi.

The above is an image
of the Rupees Twenty-five and Rupees Five stamp Miniature sheet issued on
Mahatma Gandhi titled "Mahatma Gandhi ki Wapasi ke 100 Varsh" (in
Hindi/Devnagri) and "100 Years of Mahatma Gandhi's Return" (in English)
. The Miniature sheet depicts on the Rupees five stamp a document
titled "Golden number of Indian Opinion" and "Souvenir of the
Passive Resistance Movement of South Africa". A young Gandhi is shown in
Western attire.

The Rupees
Twenty Five stamp shows, Gandhi and his wife Kasturba on Indian shores on their
return to India from Africa in 1915, in Indian style dresses. The
Miniature sheet also shows the Mahatma spinning the "Charkha" (or the
spinning wheel) to make "Khadi cloth" (indigenous cotton
thread/cloth) as a means of protest against using British-made foreign goods,
an image which ignited the minds of Indian patriots all over the country
to boycott European goods in their fight for India's Independence.

The
Technical Specifications:

Issuer: Department of Posts, Government of
India

Date
of Issue: 08.01.2015

Denominations:
2500 paise or 25.00 rupees; 500 paise or 5.00 rupees

Stamps
Printed: 0.9 million or 900,000 each

Miniature
sheet: 0.5 million or 500,000

Printing
Process: Wet Off-set

Printer: Security Printing Press,
Hyderabad

Posted
on 19.07.2016:

ii)Commemorative Coins in the denomination of Rs.10/-:

I have yesterday received
a Commemorative Uncirculated Rs.10/- Coin from the Hyderabad Mint on the
Commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s Return to India from South Africa –
1915-2015.

The Cover of the Album
containing the Commemorative Rs.5/- coin.

The Cover shows an image
of Mahatma Gandhi with the colours of the Indian Flag in the background. The
inscriptions on the album are “Smarak
Sikka” (in Hindi) and “COMMEMORATIVE COIN” (in English) and “Mahatma Gandhi Ki Dakshin Africa Se Wapasi
Ka Shatabdi Smaranotsav – 1915-2015” (in Hindi) and “COMMEMORATION OF
MAHATMA GANDHI’S RETURN FROM SOUTH AFRICA 1915-2015”.

The inner pages 2 and 3 of
the Coin Album

Page 2 of the Coin Album

The text on this page
reads, inter alia:

“Mahatma Gandhi was born
on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. He was truthful and
honest from his boyhood. He travelled to England to study to become a
barrister-at-law. Thereafter, he went to South Africa to start a practice as a
lawyer. He spent twenty one years in South Africa from 1893 to 1914. There he
found that the Indians and other dark skinned people were the oppressed sections
of Society.

In 1894, he formed the
Indian Natal congress to fight for the civil rights of the Indian community in
South Africa.

Mahatma Gandhi returned to
India on 9th January 1915 and took up the leadership of the national
freedom struggle through non-violence. He launched many movements to force the
British to concede India its independence on 15th august 1947. His
famous autobiography, the story of “My experiments with Truth” has seen
innumerable editions. He was assassinated by a fanatic on his way to a prayer
meeting on January 30th, 1948.

On 8th January
2015, the Government of India released coins commemorating the Centenary year
of the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa during the “Pravasi Bhartiya Divas” in Gandhinagar”.

Page 3 of the Coin Album
shows a profile of Mahatma Gandhi’s face facing left. There is also, an image a
young Gandhi on a Rs.5/- stamp issued on completion of 100 years of Mahatma
Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa. This page also has the Obverse face
of the Rs.10/- coin contained in the Coin Album.

The Obverse of the coin shows the Emblem of the Government of
India – the Lion Capitol, together with the inscription “Satyameva Jayate
(meaning “Truth Always Prevails”). The country name is given on the left and
right peripheries – “Bharat” in Hindi) and “India” (in English). The
denomination of the coin “Rs.10” is given at the bottom of this face.

Pages 4 and 5 of the Coin Album

Page 4 of the Coin Album
contains the Reverse of the coin, an image of Mahatma Gandhi spinning cotton
yarn at the “Charkha” (spinning wheel) and more specifications of this coin:

Dimensions:

Diameter:
27.00 mm; Weight: 7.71 gms.

Reverse of the Rs.10/-

The Reverse of the coin shows two images of “Mahatma Gandhi” –
young and old, with the upper peripheral inscriptions “Dakshin Africa Se Wapasi” (in Hindi) and “RETURN FROM SOUTH AFRICA”
(in English). The Commemoration period “1916” to “2016” is given on the centre
left and right peripheries. On the lower periphery is inscribed “Shatabdi Smaranotsav” (in Hindi) and
“CENTENARY COMMEMORATION”.

The “Star” Mint Mark of the Hyderabad Mint is
below the word “Centenary”.

Page 5 of the Coin Album
shows an image of the Coin’s Reverse and a photograph of the young Gandhi. Also,
seen is an image of the First Day Cover (FDC) issued on the occasion by the
Department of Posts, India on the occasion

The Back Cover of the Coin
Album gives a brief description about the Hyderabad Mint.

Posted on 11.08.2016:

Roopa and Krishna have brought for my collection a circulating Rs.10/- coin images of which are placed below:

The Reverse of the coin shows two images of “Mahatma Gandhi” –
young and old, with the upper peripheral inscriptions “Dakshin Africa Se Wapasi” (in Hindi) and “RETURN FROM SOUTH AFRICA”
(in English). The Commemoration period “1916” to “2016” is given on the centre
left and right peripheries. On the lower periphery is inscribed “Shatabdi Smaranotsav” (in Hindi) and
“CENTENARY COMMEMORATION”.

The “Diamond” Mint Mark of the Mumbai Mint is
below the word “Centenary”.

The Obverse of the coin shows the Emblem of the Government of
India – the Lion Capitol, together with the inscription “Satyameva Jayate
(meaning “Truth Always Prevails”). The country name is given on the left and
right peripheries – “Bharat” in Hindi) and “India” (in English). The
denomination of the coin “Rs.10” is given at the bottom of this face.

About Me

I am Rajeev Prasad, a retired State Bank of India officer who had been collecting coins in a shoe box without having a serious interest. Only after quitting my job I got the time to take serious interest in developing my coin collection into a hobby. A pity, because I would have had more opportunity to lay my hands on more 'exclusive coins' while in the Bank. Anyway, as they say,better late than never. If you have any views to share with me regarding this blog , please contact me on my email rajeevprasad1208@gmail.com. I also have a twitter account @prasad_rajeev.
I had an opportunity to participate in a Documentary on the life and times of the 25 paise coin titled “Chal Basi Chavanni” (The four anna/twenty five paise coin passes away), aired by STAR NEWS on 29th and 30th June 2011. The programme helped in making many persons hold back onto their “chavannis”, the little round beauties, instead of returning them to Banks .